Overview & Reviews

Chrysler is generally considered part of the Big Three, a title that refers to the traditional triumvirate of domestic automakers. The current accuracy of this classification is open for debate, but there's no debating the fact that Chrysler has experienced a revival of sorts over the past few years.

Chrysler Corporation was founded in 1925 by Walter P. Chrysler, a noted machinist; he'd purchased the Maxwell Motor Corporation of Detroit and used it as the foundation for his new company. The automaker quickly earned a reputation for advanced engineering. In 1928, Chrysler Corporation expanded with the purchase of Dodge and the creation of the DeSoto and Plymouth divisions.

The 1930s saw Chrysler boldly looking toward the future with the introduction of its revolutionary Airflow. Powered by a front-mounted inline-8, the car was one of the first to be designed with aerodynamics in mind, and featured swooping lines and a prominent grille. Perhaps a bit too ahead of its time, the Airflow was a flop with the public. Chrysler was able to survive the lean years of the Depression thanks to strong sales of its entry-level Dodge and Plymouth brands, whose vehicles boasted more traditional designs and much lower price tags.

Chrysler shined postwar. For a period in the late 1940s, it even surpassed Ford as the No. 2 U.S. automaker. The company's storied "Hemi" V8 engine debuted in 1951. Offering 180 horsepower, it was a significant improvement over Chrysler's previous 135-hp V8. The Hemi engine was meant to trounce the V8 offered by Cadillac, Chrysler's rival, and it kick-started Detroit's horsepower race of the 1950s and '60s. The '50s also saw the debut of treasured Chrysler classics like the handsome Town and Country and the sleek 300C.

By 1961, Chrysler had trimmed its line of brands by dropping the DeSoto nameplate. New technologies were also afoot, such as unibody construction (Chrysler was the first of the Big Three to introduce it) and the replacement of generators with alternators for a car's charging system. In the latter half of the '60s, Chrysler was heavily involved with NASCAR and producing performance-oriented cars.

At the same time, however, dark clouds were gathering. As with other domestic automakers, the 1970s proved to be a difficult decade due to the oil crisis, new government regulations and changing consumer tastes. A costly and ineffective overseas expansion further hurt the company's bottom line. By the late '70s, the company was in such financial disarray that it petitioned the government for $1.5 billion in loan guarantees to save it from bankruptcy.

Thanks to impressive public campaigning by then-chairman Lee Iacocca, the debut of the well-received K-car platform and the creation of the modern minivan, sales had improved dramatically by the mid-'80s. The government's loan was paid off seven years early. The picture further brightened in the late 1980s with Chrysler's purchase of American Motors Corporation (which netted the company the Jeep brand) and a joint venture with Mitsubishi known as Diamond Star Motors.

Success continued through the early 1990s. In 1998, German-based Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler. At the time, this deal was presented as a merger of equals. But it quickly became apparent that it was more of a purchase, with Daimler being the dominant partner.

Less than a decade later, that merger was no longer, as Daimler sold Chrysler (and Dodge) to a private equity firm in 2007. However, that merger had borne some worthwhile fruit, most notably in the form of the Chrysler 300 full-size sedan. The latter shared some chassis components with an older Mercedes-Benz E-Class platform.

As such, the 300 was a highlight for Chrysler that had a pleasingly solid feel to its driving dynamics that was further sweetened via an available powerful V8 engine. But soon after the split, America's economy slid into recession. Due to poor sales and debt, Chrysler had to declare bankruptcy and the federal government intervened with bailout loans. Eventually Chrysler came under control of Italy's Fiat.

Today, the lineup has been pared down to a pair of sedans, a convertible and a minivan. However, after years of having lackluster entries in the very important midsize car category, Chrysler made major improvements in the performance, design and quality of its midsize sedan entry, the 200. The latest 300 also stands as a prime choice for a premium full-size sedan. Still, it remains to be seen as to whether this and future product releases will be enough to restore the company to its former glory.

User Reviews:

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  Really - 2004 Chrysler Concorde
  By Sandra Mackin - March 30 - 3:43 am

  The battery.....who puts a battery there....I mean really ....

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  300M. One problem after another - 2004 Chrysler 300M
  By Chris - December 11 - 8:02 pm

  Bought the car with 50k miles on it. Kept it for 7 years. The first 4 years of ownership were spectacular. Basic maintenance issues easily resolved, tires, brakes, sensors. It always consumed a quart of oil every oil change and ate gas and tires even with an alignment. I upgraded the rotors to drilled and pads to ceramic Worked amazing. After 90k miles the fun began. One problem after another. Replaced entire front suspension, and drive axles, it ate all 6 cd’s in the changer, would not eject, the tranny cooler lines leaked, I did the timing belt job 3 times in a 20k mike period, it needed a new cam sensor every year, these cars are great when they are new and low mileage., not a good keep forever car.

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  Nice looking but... - 2006 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Andreas Herd - November 3 - 2:56 am

  So my Crossfire was 9 years old when I got it and I owned it for 2 years. In those years the car ruined any fun I had for driving cars. It all started that the engine would randomly not go on at all, broken PCM module. Then the alarm system started going off by itself, trunk lock was not closing right. The whole car started to make weird squeaking sounds in various places and the rear felt like something is coming loose. Not even changing tires was an easy deed, because the wheels are of different sizes and somehow depending who was mounting them, the bolts made sometimes weird knocking sounds. Lately the car would just go electrically dead when trying to crank the engine. Problem was never really found, but after cleaning fuses and replacing almost all sensors, the problem disappeared. Cost me a fortune and Ive spent pretty much every 2 month in the repairs with this car, broken wheel bearing, leaky oil caps, constant moisture coming from the air vents, defect fuel pump, faulty codes from esp sensor and so on. However the engine itself seemed rock solid and had never any issues in itself. So yes, I loved the looks of it and it was sort of fun to drive, but also very far away from being a sports-car. It feels very soft and soapy on the road, the 1st to 2nd gear switch was never smooth (comes like that from the factory). In winter you better put some heavy concrete tiles into the trunk to get at least some weight on the rear axle, because even with studded winter tyres it was hard to get any snowy hill up. Last week I finally sold it because I couldnt handle the bad feeling I had every morning going to my car, expecting something to break.

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  Save Yourself The Trouble! - 2007 Chrysler Sebring
  By Brianna - November 20 - 9:53 pm

  I have the 2.7L V6 engine. Let me start by saying i havent had many problems but the problems I do have are ridiculous. As previously mentioned by others, the car randomly stalls out on you whether you are moving or not... Especially in the rain! It is absolutely horrible on gas. My gas cap seems to be an ongoing issue as the car chooses when it thinks the gas cap is working properly and when it isnt... Ive been through 2 or 3 gas caps so far. Ive gotten water stuck in the door during a rainstorm which drained out over the course of a few days. If youre looking for something that handles nicely and is good in all weather, this is absolutely not the car for you. My car slides all over the place when its wet or icy out... I dread driving it in the winter. Ive had to replace the brakes twice in 6 months because they dont seem to hold up well and this car takes what seems like days to stop. I LOVE the acceleration in the car though! I must conclude by saying the car is 100% plastic and I was recently in a very minor accident (rear ended another vehicle) and the front of my car SMASHED. $4,500 in damage. Cosmetic parts are entirely too expensive for such a horribly made vehicle. The airbags also did not deploy. I could go on and on about why I hate this car but my advice to you is to skip out on it and look for another vehicle!!!

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  2006 Chrysler Sebring GTC Money Pit - 2006 Chrysler Sebring
  By M Perry - November 16 - 7:41 pm

  This car, at 96000 miles, well maintained, has been nothing but a nightmare. Im the second owner, paid $4k for the 2006 GTC model. After only 6 months of ownership Ive had to replace the fuel pump, a transmission sensor when the car died while driving 35 mph & a new alternator...approximately $1,300 in repairs!! Now KBB is telling me my car is worth $2,100 private party sales? This car is a 6 cylinder but reacts sluggishly when accelerating from a stopped position. Car shakes & seems very unstable with even the slightest poor road handling, especially when top is retracted. I will never purchase or recommend a Chrysler product again!!

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  Rented for a week - 2015 Chrysler 200
  By John Donaldson - November 15 - 1:02 am

  I found the Chrysler 200 4Cyl to have noticeable shift points, poor gas pedal response, poorly placed controls (shift knob, headlight switch), the sound system turned on every time I started the car even though I turned it off previously. The rental car lacked basic features of most large cars today such as Auto climate controls. Trunk space was adequate, engine power was good after a lag when depressing the gas pedal. The drivers headrest was about 1" too far forward for me, making this the drop dead feature for me not to buy a Chrysler 200. I would not recommend this car for purchase or lease.

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  averaged- not the quality I was expecting - 2012 Chrysler 200
  By Lorri C - October 28 - 12:42 pm

  I actually sought this car out it was everything I was looking for. I purchased my 2012 200 Limited convertible in April 2015 with under 30,000 miles on it for $21,800.00 (a bit over priced but at the time I was ok with it). We test drove it at high speed on the highway, with top down and up, as a driver and a passenger. Since we travel one of the top things I was looking/listening for was noise, and the only noise at the time was a small wind coming through the rear driver’s side window- I decided to deal with it since it wasn’t in my ear as a passenger, proving I’m not unreasonable. Then the fun began. I used to have a 2008 Mercury Sable Premier, so I was spoiled. Even though they were both priced at almost $30,000 new, the 200 has nothing on the Sable. I have had several issues since buying it and after several trips to the dealer I’m left with ‘It’s normal’. The top squeaks when it’s up, sometimes worse that others and after a rain I can NOT put my windows down without a flood of water coming in… consistently. Not drips either. The drives side window would catch on the trim but they adjusted that. I have a bad wind noise in the car now, not sure where the hell that cam from but… IT’S NORMAL! During this process I had been emailing Chrysler and they were getting back to me and following up regularly. After I got the final exam done on the car with the same ‘it’s normal for a convertible’ I then responded to Chrysler telling them I expected more for a 30,000.00. They did talk to the dealership and agreed… here’s a quote. “ they drove your vehicle and found the noise was the air rush on the outside of that car that would be due to it being a convertible. It is a normal noise. He stated you may experience a creek noise as it will move due to it being a convertible. They found no water or air leaks. He stated there is nothing wrong with the vehicle. He stated the body shop adjusted the windows. Some water will come in when the windows are put down. This is a normal condition when dealing with a convertible sports top. After thoroughly reviewing your request and the files on this matter, we respectfully concur with the decision rendered by the dealership.” So I’ve owned a had top and a soft top, the hard top was a Mercedes so I can let that slide but the soft top was either 96’ or 97’ Sebring. I wanted a better car and a quieter car which is why I got the hard top AND the Limited. What a waste of money! I could have spent less money and got the same quality. Other issues: Delay in transmission- after you accelerate then let off the gas it will hesitates and drag back down. I was also told this is normal. Uncomfortable- even if it’s listed as ‘premium’ leather. Navigation- Pain in the butt. Gas millage- not so good I wish it had memory seats and retractable gas peddle (I, only 411") Pros: Drives nice, little actual road noise, takes bumps well Tight steering Looks nice Heat and air work well Heated seats go up the back

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  So Many Problems - 2007 Chrysler 300
  By Kendra - August 28 - 10:12 pm

  My 2007 Chrysler has a lot of electrical issues. The radio has blown out twice with no lights, the air barely blows although freon is full, the temperature control lights have gone out, the gear shift rod is now broke and my passenger door no longer auto locks/unlocks!!!! I am so disappointed and I cant believe there is no recall on this electrical issues with this car.

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  and the problem goes on - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By vmanzanares951 - November 13 - 12:15 pm

  So I bought my pacifica in May 2014 at a dealership in Temecula, CA saw the carfax car seemed great except it was from Missouri. Well thats should have told me something there but I didnt know. Now I have replaced the front struts 4 times since May replaced the axles twice emissions problems then motor mounts went out ALL 4, This is the disaster part, My Sub-Frame is completely Rusted the rear end can not be aligned until I replace the alignment parts because they are so rusted. Got a flat tire and went to crank my car up with the stock jack and it went right thru the driver side floorboard. I dont know what to do anymore I paid way over the price for everything sale 6k repairs 4k

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  Worst Car Imagineable - 2001 Chrysler Sebring
  By sjc3 - November 7 - 7:14 pm

  Bought my 01 Sebring with 75k mikes on it. After two months the heater and air conditioning stopped working, which was only the beginning of my problems. Once it hit 85k miles, it was needing $300 plus repairs every month - everything from leaking water pumps, to broken axle and ball joint to leaking fuel rails. Dont, dont, dont buy this car!